ACLU issues new warning about campaign to silence criticism of Israel

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has issued a fresh warning about legislative efforts to “silence criticism of Israel”, after Members of Congress introduced the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act last month.

In a blog post co-written by Manar Waheed, Legislative and Advocacy Counsel, and Brian Hauss, Staff Attorney, the renowned civil liberties group said the “overbreadth” of the new bill “makes it likely that it will…silence criticism of Israel that is protected by the First Amendment”.

Noting that genuine anti-Jewish hate crimes is “already illegal under federal law”, the ACLU highlights how the proposed legislation “defines speech that applies a ‘double standard for Israel’, or denies ‘the Jewish people their right to self-determination’ as evidence of anti-Semitism”.

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On Monday, the ACLU sent a letter to Congress opposing the bill.

According to the ACLU, “the bill is part of a disturbing surge of government-led attempts to suppress the speech of people on only one side of the Israel-Palestine debate.”

“The trend manifests on college campuses, in state contracts, and even in bills to change federal criminal law, but the impact is the same: Those who seek to protest, boycott, or otherwise criticise the Israeli government are being silenced.”

The ACLU added that “these efforts to censor criticism of the Israeli government and advocacy for Palestinian rights do a disservice to the real problem of anti-Semitism in the United States.”

“Addressing anti-Semitism is important and necessary, particularly in the current climate, but it does not require silencing constitutionally protected protest or expression.”